A handwritten note can have a big impact on the recipient. Yes, it’s easier to press “send”, but your words of appreciation will probably be lost in the inbox pile. Personal words put to paper are a rarity which makes them meaningful and treasured. Choose them to say thanks, congrats, to compliment, to encourage or to consolidate a new business relationship.
Executive Etiquette Tip – Thank Yous
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Jill, I recently attended an etiquette session with you in MN with a U.S. Bank team. It was outstanding and everyone had personal take-aways. You mentioned the importance of hand writing personal notes. I want to choose the right kind of stationary that sends the right “message” about me. Would you have a fovorite site or location that you would be willing to recommend for us? And do you have any tips for choosing a clean/warm style?
Thank you so much for sharing your insights.
Brian
Brian,
Thanks so much for your kind words about my program. It was wonderful working with all of you! Check out http://www.finestationery.com. I have ordered stationery from them several times and have been pleased with their quality. They even handle Crane and William Arthur, which are two of my personal favorites. As for a clean/warm style – keep the paper stock plain, without patterns or clip art designs, although I think a simple, colored border along the edge is a handsome addition. To “warm” it up, try off-white stock instead of stark white and choose a font that looks more like handwriting (no stuffy monograms!). Hope that helps!
Hello Jill,
We recently engaged you to speak to our company’s Asian ERG around Brand Image and etiquette. You were fantastic and we received record setting satisfaction survey results from the attendees.
I had a follow up question to Brian’s question above. I recently sent out Thank Yous to some Executives who participated on some panels. I would like to know three things:
1. The size of thank you cards that are appropriate
2. The length of the thank you note (I found myself writing 4 to 5 lines.)
3. Should I, the sender, do anything after the note to make sure they ever received the note or expect an email from the recipients?
Thank you Jill.
Hi Bharat,
Thanks for the question. 2-3 lines is often all that is needed to say a simple thank-you, but 4-5 lines is the norm when a little more substance is needed to express your gratitude. That will necessitate writing on both the front and back of a foldover card or the front of a half-sheet style of stationery. You don’t need to do anything to check in with them later, unless you asked them a question that still needs answering. I don’t think you should expect to hear from them otherwise. Some people will get back to the sender to say “thanks for the thanks”, but don’t expect it.